8 Useful Google Calendar Labs Features

After the huge success of Gmail Labs, Google decided to extend the Labs feature in Google Calendar too. As it was in the case of Gmail, the lab features in Google Calendar are in experimental mode and can be enabled by clicking the tiny green colored labs icon on the top right corner of your calendar.

Currently there are 8 labs features and all of them could prove useful in enhancing your Google calendar experience.

1. Background Image

If you are keen to replace the plain white background of your calendar then you can enable this lab feature.  Once you enable it, you can go to your calendar settings and choose from one of the background images. You can also select the image display style as centered, tiled or scaled to fit.

2. Attach Google Docs

This is a very useful feature if you frequently use Google Docs spreadsheets and presentations. Enable this feature to attach a Google Docs sheet or presentation to your event. If you are sharing the calendar with others then make sure that they also have sharing rights to your Google Docs spreadsheet/presentation.

3. Dim Future Repeating Events

A nice feature, especially if your calendar looks cluttered with a lot of tasks and events. The repeating events can be dimmed using this feature. They are still visible though less prominent.

4. Add Any Gadget By Url

I was a great fan of this feature in Gmail Labs and I use many external gadgets with my Gmail account. Now this feature has been extended to Google Calendar and you can add external gadgets which would appear beside your calendar.

5. World Clock

Another much awaited and a very useful tool, something like the polyclock gadget in Gmail. When you enable this in labs, not only can you see time in different time zones, you can also click on events to check their start times in different time zones.

6. Jump to Date

As the name suggests, this feature allows you to quickly jump to a future as well as a past date. Sure to enhance your productivity while working on calendar.

7. Next Meeting

A simple feature which shows a countdown to the next event in your Google Calendar. Also shows a small box which has brief details about the event.

8. Free or busy

If you share calendars with your friends and vice versa, then this feature could tell you their availability status according to the events in their calendar.